Sprouting Flames Of Shadows
Chapter 3-The Second Day
Whitney wandered down the stairs, clad in a deep blue t-shirt, black leggings and sneakers. She had been informed previously that she didn't actually need to wear the school uniform for the cram school (like Shiemi had), and if she wasn't going to the regular school, why get clothes if she wasn't even gonna use them? It was pointless. Besides, she was more comfortable in these ones.
She walked into the dining room (or whatever it's called) and noticed Yukio sitting at one of the tables, with a small demon coming out of what looked to be the kitchen, laden with food.
"Morning." She greeted. "Who's this guy?" She seemed unfazed by the demon laying breakfast on the table.
"Morning." Yukio replied. "This is Ukobach. He's the chief of the dorm." He gave a small chuckle. "Aside from my brother, of course." White nodded, and sat opposite him.
"Nice to meet you." She told Ukobach, who was laying her breakfast in front of her. "Thank you." The demon nodded and went back to the kitchen. But she didn't eat.
"Where is your brother, anyway?" She asked, looking down.
"Rin?" Yukio sighed, and pushed his glasses back up his nose. "Probably late. Again."
"You sound like he does it often."
"Yeah..." Silence.
"Hey, how come you're more talkative, now?" He asked, curious.
"Hm? What do you mean?" White was confused as she glanced back up.
"Yesterday. You were very...reclusive." He explained. And you still are...he added, thinking. She nodded.
"Ah, that. Yeah, I'm much friendlier in the mornings." Another moment of silence, and White still hadn't began eating.
"Holy crap I'm late!" A voice cried from down the hall. Yukio half-smiled.
"Here he comes." He murmured. Rin came dashing around the corner, skidding to a stop. His shirt was half buttoned, his tie a useless clump of fabric dangling from his neck. White thought she saw something moving behind the half-dressed boy, something black and...furry? But the next moment it was gone.
White blinked. I could have sworn that was...she shook her head. No, it was just her mind playing tricks on her. But...how long has it been since that happened.
The Okumura twins must have noticed her spaced out.
"...okay?" Someone said. She quickly snapped out of her trance.
"Sorry, what?" She mumbled. Rin frowned, as if he was confused, or thinking. His clothes were now on properly, to both parties relief.
"I said, we missed you at dinner last night. Are you okay?" He asked, taking his seat.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired, is all." She lied. He didn't seen satisfied with the excuse, but pressed no further.
With Rin there, White began to eat. Although it wasn't required of her, she thought it was polite. After tasting the first mouthful, her amber eyes lit up, and she glanced at Ukobach, awe on her face, plain as day. She gave him a look that very clearly said, This is wonderful, it's unbelievable!
Yukio saw her, and laughed.
"What?" White asked. He smiled.
"If you think that's good, wait until you eat meals Rin and Ukobach make together."
Her eyes lit up in anticipation.
The cram school students entered their classroom to find Whitney sitting at one of the desks, reading a book. She wore the same clothes she had on that morning.
"Hey, what are you doing here so early?" Izumo asked, frowning deeper than usual.
"I don't go to to the regular school." White replied calmly, turning a page. She nodded, and took her seat with the rest of the class.
White almost jumped when Shiemi popped up next to her desk. Almost jumped.
"Hi." She greeted.
"Hello. It's Shiemi, right?" White asked, and she nodded vigorously.
"Hey, I know this is a pretty random question to ask, but do you have a familiar?" She asked, Nii sitting on her shoulder. "I know you're not going for Tamer, but Rin has one, and he isn't." White hesitated, before nodding.
"Yes, I do, actually." She replied.
"Really?" Shima had joined the conversation. "Can you show us?"
"I don't know..." She mumbled. "I don't want to be showing off, or anything..." She hated it when people thought she was. It was annoying.
"It's not showing off when people ask you to." Konekomaru pointed out.
"Yeah, but..."
"Oh, come on, White!" Rin cried. "You've told us, now you have to show us your familiar!"
She sighed; it was plain that they wouldn't give up until she showed them. She pulled a pair of summoning papers out of her breastpocket as she stood, and pricked her finger with the needle she kept in there with the papers. Blood welled infuriatingly slow for the other students.
"Venite ad me, Umbrae. Et primo de venatu!" (Translation: Come to me, my Shadows. Let us begin the hunt!) For a moment nothing happened, then what looked to be a black wolf and panther appeared before her, slowly fading into existence. They seemed to be made of a shadow-like substance, a black sand that's constantly moving, but keeps the shape. The wolf had vivid red on its paws, and on the tips of its ears and tail. The panther was the same, but had a deep blue instead of red.
"What...what are they?" Bon stammered, a bit put off.
"I call them my Shadows." White replied. "The panther is Dea, and the wolf is Domina." (Translation: Dea-Goddess Domina-Lady.) Rin whistled softly in appreciation, and she smiled. "The funny thing is, though, they only respond to Latin. They don't speak anything else, either." At that moment, Dea spoke. The sound rattled around the room.
-Quare vocavit nos, Whitney?- It asked. (Translation: Why have you summoned us, Whitney?) White scowled.
"Ut Album, Dea. Non bene memini." She retorted. (Translation: It's White, Goddess. You would do well to remember that.) She glanced at the others; they seemed too overwhelmed to speak.
-Et non necesse habetis, ut inutilis a cognomentum.-Now it was Domina who spoke. (Translation: We have no need for a useless byname.)
"Atqui mihi magis." She insisted. Domina seemed to snort."Dicemus de hoc iterum. Vade." (Translation: Well, it is my preference. We will talk about this another time. Begone.) The familiars faded, as if blending with the shadows around them. She glanced once again at the others, and they were all staring at her, silently waiting for her to speak. If she was honest, she didn't like the attention; she wanted to go back to being the quiet, unnoticed nobody. It was how she liked it.
Then she shrugged.
"So I know Latin. No big deal." She said modestly, hoping it would ease their minds. They all just stood there for a minute more, like they were nervous. Then everyone eventually drifted back to their seats, and waited for their first instructor to arrive. (To be honest with you guys, I have no idea what the classes are or who teaches them, so bear with me.)
Their first class seemed like fate.
Yukio walked into the room, and placed his teaching kit on his desk.
"Hello, class." He greeted. The class murmured their replys. "Can anyone tell me what a daemonis umbram is?" He asked, getting straight into the lesson. No-one answered him.
"Didn't think so. A daemonis umbram, or shadow demon, is exactly what the name suggests, althogh most prefer to call them Sai Dae. They can take the form of any animal, humanoid beings included, but the more powerful ones choose to be a predator, like a wolf or big cat." At this several eyes turned towards White.
"They seem to be made of a shadow-like substance, similar to sand, and constantly moving. They still keep the animals shape, however." More eyes turned. "All but the weaker ones have one colour or another on their paws or hands, the tips of ears and the end of tails." White looked down at her lap, suddenly shy. This was the kind of attention she didn't want.
"On top of all this, they can only speak and understand Latin. Although it is still inclear why, it is believed to be because they are a rare cross between Time and Rot. Because of this, they are incredibly powerful, and so far there are no known Exorcists who can contol them, and only the most powerful demons can even hope to tame one..." Yukio trailed off. He must have noticed everyone staring at White. "Miss Star, what is it?" He asked, concerned. She glanced up, pale as death.
"Sir...what you're discribing...they're my familiars."
Dun dun duuunnn
